


This Fluffy School Life of Mutual Bonding

by Featherine_Aurora



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Bonding, Danganfluffa, Eventual Romance, F/M, Female Protagonist, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Humor, Personal Growth, Romance, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2019-11-06 12:44:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17939954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Featherine_Aurora/pseuds/Featherine_Aurora
Summary: Chiaki Nanami is about to start her first year at Hope's Peak. She's nervous and the idea of being a student at this elite school is overwhelming. But she'll try her best. Besides, she has some experience with social sim games. Maybe this won't be as much of a challenge as she fears.





	1. Chapter 1

“I’m Chiaki Nanami”

That was the eventual response the bleary eyed girl gave to a curious Kazuichi while simultaneously playing on a hand-held console. He’d given his name and Ultimate title and had waited for her to respond. Well, they were all new in this class. None of them knew each other, as far as she knew. Well, Kazuichi was starting to seem a bit concerned before she had given her name. She had admittedly taken a bit too long to say her name. Kazuichi was still looking concerned.

“The Ultimate Gamer”, she added, hoping that was what he was after. “Your hair looks cool”. There, a nice compliment. Well, it was true his hair was cool. Anyway, that should help things along, right? Chiaki didn't have much experience of friendship. Gaming was very demanding in terms of time, though so much fun.

Kazuichi was grinning. “Thanks. Yeah, it’s pretty cool, huh?”. She nodded. Then there was silence again and Kazuichi just looked uncertain and uncomfortable, more so as his new conversation partner seemed to be barely aware of his existence. Chiaki knew she should really say something, but she couldn't think of anything. This was not going well. But she was beating the latest mini-boss on the game she was playing.

“Hey, that’s a Gamegirl X53, isn't it?” Well, that was good of him to to ask that. “Yes, it”. Kazuichi’s grin returned. “Wow, I've seen the specs for that. I’m amazed at what they managed to they managed to pack into such a tiny case. I wonder what the SDHSL rendering is like”. Of course, he’d be interested in her gaming system in terms of it’s inner working. Chiaki was far more focused on the games. She was not picky. All games were fun to her in some way. The mechanical aspect of computers was not really an interest of hers, at least not to the degree that it would match that of the Ultimate Mechanic. But his enthusiasm was contagious. In spite of this being all very new to her, Chiaki was probably making her first friend at this new school. What a good way to start her first day at Hope’s Peak. She could feel her mouth begin to smile warmly.

“Hey, would it be okay if I took a look inside it? I’ll have it apart in a sec and I can put it back together easily enough. I just want to take a look, please!”

Chiaki was not sure what mess of an expression was on her face for a moment as confusion, shock and dismay clashed with the smile that had been forming. But she was certain what was coming next and she aimed to do her best to show her feelings to Kazuichi.

“No, absolutely not” was her coldly declared answer, joined with a fierce glare and her cheeks puffed up in obvious irritation.

“Aw, come on...”. With Chiaki’s glare intensifying, Kazuichi abandoned the idea of trying to persuade her to change her mind before he had finished a single sentence. “Okay, sorry”.

Then they were back to silence. Silence that was even more awkward than before. Chiaki did have one idea, one she was now a bit terrified of putting forward. But this had seemed like she was about to get a friend. So, she would risk it.

“Would you like a turn?”

She held out her Gamegirl, hoping that Kazuichi would not succumb to that enthusiastic desire to dismantle her gaming device that he had just expressed. Chiaki did have other systems, but she hardly wanted to have her possessions broken.

“Sure. Thanks”.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, are you okay?”

_No, give me five more minutes, mum… wait, that wasn't my mum. Who is that?_

“You need to wake up”

That was a male voice, one she had never heard before. Chiaki’s eyes snapped open and in from of her was a brown haired boy, crouching down and looking at her with concern. _I think I was gaming, right? I sat down a bench and decided to do a bit more of a level. I pulled my hood up to feel more comfy and I felt so warm and comfortable sitting in the sun._

Well, she’d fallen asleep. “What time is it?” The boy looked at his watch and told her. She pulled down her hood and took a look at the sky. It’s evening. Wow, I must have slept there for a while. “Thanks for waking me”.

Chiaki took a proper look at this stranger who had woken her up. He was wearing a plain white short sleeved shirt and black trousers. His tie was nice. “You should be more careful where you sleep”. He sounded concerned.

“Well, I didn't plan to sleep there...” Whoops, judging by how his face looked more concerned, that was probably not the best thing to say. Understandable, given that falling asleep in random public places was probably dangerous. “I’ll be more careful in future”. Chiaki paused for a moment. Nervously, she added “I was up playing The Deceitful Duchess and the Deaf Duke. I was actually playing a bit more of it when I fell asleep”.

Huh, the boy seemed curious. It was a relatively obscure game, but it seemed like he knew of it already. “You play that too? I don’t think I've met another actual person who’s played it? Well, there are people online, but that’s different with a single player game...” He paused for a moment. “Would it be okay if I played it with you sometime?” The boy seemed uncertain. So was she. But Chiaki was not going to pass up this opportunity. “Yes, I’d like that”. The boy’s uncertainty faded, replaced with a small smile that happily Chiaki returned. _Wow, what luck. Apart from the whole falling asleep outside in a public place, I mean. This guy seems nice and interesting. I wonder if we can be friends? Wait, first thing…._

“By the way, I’m Chiaki Nanami”. She paused. “Ultimate Gamer”. Chiaki was still getting used to putting forward her Ultimate title.

“I’m Hajime Hinata. I’m.. I’m..” The boy stopped and looked downwards. Maybe this boy, Hajime, was finding getting used to the title thing as awkward as she was. Or maybe it was something else. Chiaki herself was really unused to friendship and socializing outside of online gaming. But she was going to work on that, right? Chiaki had been invited to this elite school and she should make the most of it, That was what her mum told her. Making the most of it included making friends. If he was nervous, then she would make the first move. “Hey, Hajime?”

He lifted his gaze up to face her.

“Can we be friends?”

Hajime instantly looked relieved.

“Yes. Yes, we can be friends. I’d like that”.


	2. Chapter 2

There he was. Chiaki had heard much of him. Yes, even from a distance, she could sense his overwhelming evil aura. But she approached him, a bold move for her, and a single red eye opened to gaze upon her.

“Hmm, you dare approach me? How daring. But you should not approach further. My barrier will destroy all that dares such”.

Yes, as she focused, Chiaki could see it. The deadly barrier that would turn all that dared to be near this demon lord to dust. But she did dare. Flinching from the pain, she forced herself through it even as she could feel her skin sizzle from it’s effects. But Chiaki Nanami would not let her resolve falter. Even in this desolate wasteland, she would not let herself be beaten. And thus, she stood before him.

Gundham Tanaka, the Supreme Overlord of Ice.

“Hmm, such foolishness. Well, I shall not stop you. State your business!”

That last bit was declared with a stern look. What was her business? Oh, right. Chiaki looked at the ground and then slowly raised her gaze to meet Gundham’s in what she hoped was a suitably dramatic gesture. “I am here… to challenge you”.

Gundham smirked. “You? You feel you can dare such a feat? Such insolence! Ahaha! What power can one such as you wield?”

Chiaki did her best to give a menacing grin. Gundham seemed to flinch slightly. Then she slowly drew her weapon out and thrust it at him. “Behold, the device known to mortals as the Gamegirl”. Gundham gave her a bemused look. She would not let that stand. “I thought one such as you would sense it’s power”.

“Hmph, what can such a trivial toy do against the Supreme Overlord of Ice?”

At first, Chiaki puffed out her cheeks. “Hey, don’t call my Gamegirl a trivial toy...”. Wait, she was doing this wrong. That was not the grandiose response suited to this battle, but regular annoyance. Gundham was looking at her nervously. Chiaki needed to fix this this. She adopted a more haughty expression. “Perhaps you do not perceive it’s true nature? But how can one such as you not sense the blood spilt with this instrument. I have slain countless foes with this arcane weapon. Though it may appear to be a mere gaming device, it allows me to reach worlds beyond the mundane and access powers equal even to those of demons”.

“Heh”. Gundham was not deterred. “Yes, I can sense it. To think a mere human could posses such a device”.

“You underestimate humans. Sure, they don’t posses the endurance or power of a demon. But humans possess a power that demons don’t”.

“Hmm, that was a good line”.

Chiaki smiled. She knew that drawing upon some games for quotes would serve her well here. Then, with a menacing toothy smile, Gundham tugged on his scarf. Four hamsters promptly popped out and two of them went to his shoulders, while the third darted to an outspread hand and the fourth gripped to his scarf.

At her surprise, Gundham gave her a chastising look. “You dared to question my perceptiveness when you clearly do not posses that yourself? Behold, my four Dark Devas of Destruction!”

“The.. Dark Devas..?”

“You sound nervous. As you should be. They may appear to be hamsters, but such is merely the form they take to others. One such as you cannot gaze upon their true forms. But.. perhaps you can perceive a bit of their true nature, now that you know the truth?”

Gundham seemed oddly eager. Chiaki focused on the Devas. A minute passed. Slowly, she could see something start to emanate from the four creatures. Yes, these hamsters were surely more than that. They were terrifying demons, their powerful auras only exceeded by that of their master. Even with that faint glimpse, Chiaki could sense extraordinary power.

“To think you could have such beings as familiars… you really are terrifying”.

Gundham grinned. “Yes, my contract with these great beings is one of the most remarkable in all the underworld. Surely, now you realize how hopeless it is to stand against me!”

“Maybe it is hopeless. But I’ll never submit to you!”

“Fwahahahaha! Then strike now, worm. Your feeble efforts shall do much to entertain me!”

“Hey, could you two keep it down?”

Suddenly, the desolate plane that the two great warriors stood upon shattered, depositing them in a mundane classroom. The voice that has shattered the world had come from Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. Of course, perhaps it should be no surprise that the Ultimate Yakuza could achieve such a feat. Chiaki did her best to look as contrite as possible to her classmate.

“Sorry. I should have been more considerate”.

Fuyuhiko looked at Gundham. “Perhaps it would be best to avoid a battle in such a space as this” was his answer, given as he looked away from the Yakuza and stroked the head of one of the Devas with a finger.

“Fine, whatever”. Fuyuhiko was hardly inclined to deal with this. But Chiaki could see he was doing his best to not start up trouble, in spite of the temper issues she had seen from his once so far. “You can right wherever you want, just please don’t do it here”.

“Yes, I suppose it would be problematic. If I unleashed my full force, this entire building could be incinerated in an instant”.

“…. sure”. Fuyuhiko then walked back to sit near Peko. The two of them had probably been chatting when they had been disturbed by the battle. That was embarrassing. Hopefully, they could continue their conversation from where they had been interrupted. Chiaki turned to face Gundham.

“That was a lot of fun”.

“It’s been some time since I've had such an encounter. You intrigue me”.

That was nice. “Let’s play again, Gundham”.

“What happened was not mere play. If you think of it as such in our next encounter, you will perish”.

Chiaki did her best to give Gundham an intense and serious glare. “I won’t be vanquished. Not yet”. She then abruptly switched to a pleasant smile. “So, let’s battle again, okay?” She then walked to her own desk.

Letting loose a sigh, Gundham decided he would consult the Devas on this, while giving them their due respect, through the act of supplication known by humans as petting.

 

* * *

 

  
“That was all very interesting, but what actually happened?”

That was the message Chiaki got from Hajime. “That was what happened, Hajime”.

“Fine, I’ll accept that. Well, it sounds like your classmates are an interesting group”.

“They really are”. Chiaki then sent anther message. “But I bet you have plenty of fun with your own classmates”.

“Not really. We don’t really talk with each other in my class”.

That was concerning. “Hajime, if there’s anything going on with your class, you would tell me, right?”

“I would. But there’s nothing to worry about, really”

Text could be so limiting at times. Chiaki wished she could know what sort of tone he would be using if he said those words or what face he was making. There was something bothering Hajime. Chiaki wished she knew what it was. She had only known him for a very short time, but he was a very nice person. Hajime was a good friend. But he would not let her know anything about his problem, so there was little she could do to help her friend. Admittedly, she was hardly an expert at social problems. Given how Hajime described his class in the little bits of information he let slip, it was definitely a social problem, at least partially. But Chiaki did not want to stand by and let him suffer. She could not do much if he was unwilling to share anything.

“Okay, Hajime. I’m here for you if there ever is anything”

Chiaki did have one idea. She sent another message to Hajime.

“I really want to introduce you to my classmates one day. I think they would like you a lot. I do. And they’re really fun to hang around with”.

She did not receive a response for a worrying amount of time. Chiaki was ready to sent another message, when her phone finally gave a beep to signal a response.

“That sounds like it might be nice. But I don’t think that will go well. Sorry”.

That was odd. Chiaki had no idea what to make of that message. No idea at all.


	3. Chapter 3

“Oh, he said that? My my, how curious”.

“Yes, it is. I don’t know what to do, Ibuki. I think Hajime is really nice and it seems like he’s lonely. But I have no ideas as to why he feels it would a bad idea”.

“Maybe he heard the terrifying Hiyoko is one of us?”

“I heard that, you insane weirdo!”

Chiaki glanced to see that the diminutive dancer was giving a displeased glare that she likely hoped would literally melt Ibuki with it’s sheer intensity.

“Wow, there it is! I bet Hajime would think twice before daring to face that”. Ibuki paused, promptly switching to a tone of sincere appreciation. “Yeah, I guess I am a weirdo. Hmm, I’m glad you recognize my unique personality, Hiyoko”.

Hiyoko pulled out some sweets from her kimono. “Why am I bothering with you? I’d rather talk with someone who has a brain”. She glanced around and, seeing Mahiru was not there, sighed. Then she perked up at an idea she had. “Or maybe I’ll have some fun with Mikan?” With a smug grin, she set off to do that, leaving the classroom to find her prey.

“Someone should warn Mikan”, Chiaki said, worried of what Hiyoko would do when annoyed. Hiyoko was often petty and cruel, especially to Mikan. Hiyoko seemed to act the way she did as part of an effort to feel dominant and strong and seem that way to others. So, a nervous and self-critical girl like Mikan was an ideal target. Mahiru, a fellow student who Hiyoko respected, could get her to act better, but she wasn’t here at the moment.

Ibuki pulled out her phone. “I got Mikan's number when she was treating me after I tried something I thought might be cool. It..well, it could have been worse, apparently. I was lucky it wasn’t. Ibuki definitely won’t be doing that again”. She then finished typing and then sent whatever she had typed. “Okay, warning sent. We should still probably keep an eye out for her, right?”

“Right, I’ll do that too”.

That comment came from an unexpected source. Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy. Okay, Chiaki had seen Ibuki hang out with him once, so this was the most likely time that Byakuya would join a conversation with her in it. But Chiaki had rarely ever interacted with him herself. No surprise, really. Chiaki knew she was hardly the sort of person someone like the Ultimate Prodigy would ever be inclined to talk to. Also, he was often rude, even if he was also smart and at times helpful. Byukuya was capable, but Chiaki doubted she would be friends with him anytime soon.

“Byakuya, Ibuki needs your wisdom in regards to a matter!”.

“Oh?”

“Yes, Chiaki has a crush on a boy and she wants him to consider hanging out with us. But he’s being mysterious and stuff. I have no idea what’s going on with him, but you’re really smart. Maybe you can figure this out?”

_Eh? Where did she get crush from?_

Chiaki was ready to object, but she didn't have the chance.

“I am as you put it, really smart” Byakuya replied. “Though I’m not inclined to waste time solving the trivial problems of others”.

“But we really need your help!”.

“Kindly stop yelling at me, now”. Byakuya then pointed at Chiaki. “I can spare a bit of time. Explain your situation and I shall see what advice I can offer you”.

Chiaki smiled. “Thank you, Byakuya. I really appreciate this”.

“Hmph, you shouldn't waste the time I’m giving you”.

“Right”. Chiaki then explained what she knew, that there was a student named Hajime Hinata who she saw often within the grounds of Hope’s Peak. They’d become friends, but he clearly had his own problems, seeming uncertain of himself and never mentioning his Ultimate talent for some reason. He also wanted to avoid meeting her classmates on the basis that he feared it would not go well, though the specifics of that was also something he avoided saying.

As Chiaki covered everything she knew regarding this matter, Byakuya was clearly listening carefully to her. Once she finished, he was silent for a more moment. Then he grinned confidently.

“Perhaps this Hajime Hinata is a reserve course student? Yes, that seems quite probable”

“Huh?”

Chiaki gave a puzzled look. Of course it was possible. But how had he decided it was likely with what she knew and had told him. There were a good number of alternative explanations.

“Wow, really!?”

Ibuki on the other hand gave a dramatic excited reaction. She seemed a bit awed by Byakuya, actually. She then eagerly asked “Hey, Byakuya, do you really think so?”

“I do, Ibuki. You both seem confused, so I suppose I am obliged to explain my line of reasoning to you. Listen carefully.

“First, I happen to have the names of all the current Ultimate students memorised, along with their talents and other details. These are the elite of society, many of whom may be potentially useful to my family’s Togami Corporation. I know there is no Hajime Hinata currently amongst them. Judging by the description you gave, Chiaki, he definitely is a student, or at that age at least. It seems by what you’ve said that it’s not likely he’s one of those Hope’s Peak obsessives. This Hajime has not apparently shown any of the behaviours of those types. For example, he has also avoided the topic of his talent, rather than made one up or made any excuses. He has just avoided it. Plus, he has had not trouble seeing you on school grounds multiple times. The security of this school is tight.

“My conclusion would be that he is a reserve student of this school. The only way he could be an Ultimate is if he lied about his name, which I admit is a possibility. Though I feel it would be reasonable to proceed on the basis that he is a reserve student for now. I would advise you to keep an eye out for any suspicious signs, though”.

“Do you really think he could be dangerous?” This was a frightening possibility for Chiaki.

“I’m merely advising you to be cautious, at least until we find some answers regarding these mysteries. It’s the responsibility of those such of myself to look out for those below us and yours to look after yourself. Even if he is a reserve course student, I believe a fair number of those in that course have unhealthy attitudes towards Ultimates. That is a course only available to those who have parents willing to donate a substantial amount of money to Hope’s Peak to get their child or children in. Either the parents are that eager to get their children in or their child is that eager to be here. Both offer the risk of the child possessing mentalities that might cause issues. Plus, there are concerning possible answers as to why a person might want to never see another’s friends. From what you say, it seems Hajime Hinata is a decent person. But a bit of caution won’t hurt”.

Chiaki could understand what Byakuya was saying perfectly. Still, it was a bit demoralizing to consider the idea that the second friend she had made at Hope’s Peak might not be a real friend or even be dangerous in some way.

Byakuya then added “I am a suspicious person by nature. So, perhaps I am merely seeing dangers that are not there”.

“Maybe. But I trust you judgement, Byakuya. Chiaki, please be careful”.

“I will, Ibuki”.

“Perhaps I can end this discussion on something more positive”. Byakaya looked at Chiaki. “First, if this Hajime Hinata is really just a reserve student, it may simply be that he suffers from self-esteem issues. Reminding him that he has routinely dealt with an Ultimate already might help. After all, you, an Ultimate Student do consider him to be a friend, correct?”.

“Yes, of course”.

“Then that is one step, to get him to fully acknowledge that he has already gained the respect of an Ultimate. Another would be to get him to meet another Ultimate and engage with them, briefly. Show him that you are not just an exception and that other Ultimates will accept him”.

“How clever. You’re amazing, Byakuya!” Ibuki gave her response with her usual energy. She really seems to like him.

“I’m Byakuya Togami”. This was said with a self-satisfied smile. “Of course I am, as are all who bear the name Togami”.

“So, who will you get Hajime to meet, Chiaki? Ibuki would offer to help, but there’s practise. I need to prepare for a gig coming up”. Ibuki rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry”.

Chiaki looked at Byakuya with a faint hope.

One he crushed instantly.

“Are you thinking of having the second Ultimate Hajime ever meets be myself? Byakuya Togami, an Ultimate who stands above Ultimates? I think that would be unwise”. He declared that with an amused smirk. He then added “Besides, I’m a very busy person. I don’t have the time to try and help with some arranged meeting. I will say that you’re better off arranging an accidental meeting. Have whoever you ask to help happen to meet him and end up chatting with him. They should probably hold off on mentioning their Ultimate status until he has warmed to them”.

“I know. I have an idea that should work. Probably”.

“Probably?”, Ibuki remarked. “You don’t sound too sure about that, Chiaki?”.

“All I can do is try my best”.

So, now she needed to decide who she would ask to help her. The first thought was Kazuichi. But he was hardly more apt at social situations. Gundham? He was bad too, in different way. Both of them said nothing but glowing things of Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess. Maybe one of them could help convince her to help Chiaki.

“Gundham! I have some thing wonderful to share with you”.

Well, that was convenient. Then Sonia shoved a magazine into Gundham’s hands.

“This has a delightful article on Genocide Jack”.

_The serial killer?_

Sonia confirmed that by quoting parts of the article out loud and giving her thoughts on them to Gundham, who was attentively listening to her. The quotes sounded disturbing and the enthusiasm Sonia was showing for this topic was definitely.. something. She positively glowed with it.

Right, she’d not be choosing Sonia.


	4. Chapter 4

“Hi, Chiaki”.

Chiaki glanced up from the handheld console she had brought with her to greet the person walking up to her. She had a bad habit of playing her games while conversing with others. She could do both at the same time, so why not do that? That was what she usually thought. But Chiaki had asked this person to meet with her here, at this time. So, she tried to give the warmest smile she could as she returned their greeting.

“Hi Mahiru. Thanks for coming”.

“It’s no trouble. I’m always happy to help out a classmate”.

Perhaps it was no trouble, but Chiaki still considered this to be a big favour. She needed this to help Hajime and her other choices weren’t good. That was the kinder way to put it. She really liked her friends in her class, but none of them were suited for this task. Mahiru Koizumi was the one in her class who was the closest to a normal person. That was rare for Ultimate students.

The two went inside the cafe they had chosen for this and bought themselves some drinks. Chiaki also ordered something to eat. Mahiru would be busy soon, so she ordered nothing. They then went back outside and sat at a table when Chiaki could look across the road at a particular store.

That was a game store she was certain Hajime would be visiting today.

_He’d told me he would be unavailable at this time right after we talked about a game I wanted to buy and I know this is the only place that sells it that he goes to._

She and Mahiru were in casual clothes. One thing had occurred to Chiaki immediately when deciding on her plan and that was the need to be inconspicuous. It would be best if Hajime got to know Mahiru as a person before he learned she was a fellow Hope’s Peak student or that she was one of its Ultimate students. If Byakuya was right, Hajime was a reserve course student with issues in regards to that. He wasn’t an Ultimate student. That much was something Byakuya had confirmed. Not being an Ultimate was potentially something bothering him to the point that the only Ultimate student Chiaki knew he interacted with was herself. So, an obvious Ultimate student walking up to him would be really bad. Mahiru had very ordinary clothes on and her personality wouldn’t make Hajime suspicious or feel uncomfortable.

As for Chiaki herself, it was better if Hajime did not know she was nearby at all. She should probably not be around at all, but she wanted to be close and to have some idea of what was going on when Mahiru and Hajime were talking to each other. So, she and Mahiru had picked out this cafe. From this spot, all Chiaki needed to do was wait and watch while her friend did her part of the plan.

_My Friend. One of a number of friends. It still feels odd, in a good way._

Indeed, she had not been at Hope’s Peak for that long and yet Chiaki had been slowly making more and more of her class into friends. Amongst them was Mahiru. She had offered to help Chiaki and Hiyoko had grudgingly accepted that Mahiru would be doing this today. She made a few jabs at Chiaki regarding this, but in the end just told Chiaki to be grateful to have Mahiru’s help. For Hiyoko, that was oddly supportive.

“So, which one of them is Hajime?”

She’d dived too far into her own thoughts and had left Mahiru waiting.

“Oh, sorry”.

She looked at the crowd in the shop. Hajime’s ahoge atop his brown hair helped Chiaki in pointing him out. Discretely. They were across the street, but all Hajime needed to do was glance at the wrong time and he’d potentially notice the person gesturing at him from across the street. Chiaki had even decided not to wear any of her hoodies. She wore them so often that it felt strange. But they were all a bit too noticeable.

“Do you really have no hoodies that don’t have animal ears on them?”

Had her discomfort been that noticeable? Unfortunately, Chiaki now needed to answer that question. Her face started to blush. “… no”.

She really didn’t.

Mahiru gave her a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, you look fine. I know you might not feel it, but it looks nice. In fact, that shirt and cardigan really suits you”.

Chiaki tended to wear hoodies a lot and all of them hoodies with animal ears. She even combined them with her school uniform. When coming up with something to wear that would not be instantly recognisable, all she could do was take what items of clothing she had other than her usual outfits. She was also not that fashion conscious and she knew it. So, she was really concerned that what she was wearing was either conspicuous or awful. Fortunately, Mahiru was able to tell what was bothering Chiaki and try to help a bit.

“Thank you”. Chiaki let out a sigh of relief.

“You’re welcome”.

Mahiru then took out some money and handed it to Chiaki. “Please take this. I’ll pay for our drinks and your meal. I’ll be back when I’m done with Hajime. While I’m busy, all you need to do is relax and not draw attention to yourself. I’ll tell you everything when I get back to you”.

Chiaki nodded. Not drawing attention to herself would be something she would need to concentrate on. While not as attention drawing as many of her classmates, Chiaki knew from past experience that she could be just as prone to what others would consider the eccentricities of Ultimate students.

She was still a bit bitter about the time when she had been grinding some levels on a game in a public place and some people told her to stop because it had been making everyone uncomfortable.

_So what if I was doing it while sleeping upright?_

“What have you recently talked about with Hajime?”

Chiaki decided to mention the most immediately relevant thing. “There’s the release of Super Ikaruga XXVII Enhanced Edition. Both of us really like the series".

Mahiru nodded. “I assume he’s there to look for a copy?”

“Probably”. Chiaki’s face turned a bit red thinking about it. Given the cost, it was a bit embarrassing to consider he might be trying to get it for her. Hajime would say it was for them to play together, but there was a good chance she would effectively end up owning it. She’d definitely end up playing it a lot more than Hajime would.

“That’s sweet”. Mahiru then frowned. “Are you really embarrassed about that?”

Chiaki instinctively reached to pull her hood over her head, but was stopped by the fact that she was not wearing her hood. She put her hands on the table. “Yes”.

“Why?”

“Hmmm….”

Chiaki didn’t know what to say. Communication was something she was still working on and she had only been friends with Mahiru for a very short amount of time. She was not sure how the other girl would react.

In fact, Mahiru looked a bit put off by by Chiaki’s response. “After asking me to do this, please don’t close up like that. I don’t want to have to try asking Gundham or Kazuichi for information again”.

Chiaki had heard from those two about that. Apparently, Mahiru had talked with them prior to Chiaki asking her for help. Mahiru had told both of them that Chiaki seemed troubled and that she wanted them to tell her whatever they knew. Gundham said he had told her what he knew, but that Mahiru did not seem to fully understand him. He said that it was not his fault if she failed to understand the refined language of a Supreme Overlord, while petting the Dark Devas. He then let Chiaki pet them.

_Gundham has a good heart, but he really is not good at relaying important information._

At least there was zero risk of Gundham ever sharing things she might not want shared. Even if he was inclined to, Gundham was firmly committed to his role as the Supreme Overlord. He always spoke and acted in a way that suited that. He even insisted, while telling her about his website, that its content was concealed with magic and that it only appeared to be a normal site about animal care because of that magic.

Kazuichi said he had been more than willing to help Mahiru and that he had also been concerned about Chiaki. That was nice of him, though she would have liked it if he had said something to her. He did apologise for that. He had felt it would have been rude to ask anything, but he did promise to communicate concerns like that to her in the future. He then told her that his conversation with Mahiru did not end well. Apparently, Mahiru suddenly decided she was okay and ended the conversation before Kazuichi could help her.

_Kazuichi probably said something weird. I’ve seen how he acts around a lot of girls, especially around Sonia. Plus there was that comment he made once about my chest._

Chiaki inwardly shuddered. Kazuichi was a good friend. He was hard-working and was eager to do things for those he liked. At the same time, he was a teenage boy and thought about girls in the way a lot of boys his age did. Plus, his social skills were really not good. Chiaki didn’t know much about them either and even she felt could see his issues. One effect of those poor social skills was that he would say things right in front of a girl’s face without thinking, in a very oblivious manner. It was like he couldn’t stop himself from just blurting things out, sometimes things that were uncomfortable to hear.

He had apologized profusely when Chiaki had mentioned her discomfort about his comment to him, but it was not something she could just forget.

_I hope what Kazuichi said wasn’t something too bad. Well, whatever it was, that must have been uncomfortable for Mahiru._

Now she felt embarrassed on Kazuichi’s behalf and guilty for partly being the cause for that conversation.

Even ignoring that feeling of guilt, Chiaki still had only one choice if she wanted to treat her new friend with respect. She was dreading the possible responses, but she decided to share what she was thinking and hope for the best. “Well, Hajime might be about to buy an expensive game basically for me. It’s expensive enough that it’s hard not to feel at least a bit guilty about it”. Chiaki then glanced downwards at the table. “There’s something else. I really like playing with him and I think he likes playing with me. But I always win. No matter what, I always win. At times, I feel that really bothers him. But he’s still going to buy that game”.

“Well, he is your friend”.

“Yes. He’s my friend and his reward for being a good friend will be losing repeatedly. I think he really does enjoy playing with me. I do trust him. But I think he really does not enjoy losing”. She held up a hand to forestall Mahiru’s objection. “It’s not a matter of being a sore loser or anything like that. It’s not the losing in itself that’s the problem”. Chiaki thought for a moment, then continued. “I think Byakuya might be right. He’s confirmed that Hajime is a reserve course student and his theory of how Hajime likely has issues in regards to that seems correct. So, whenever I play against Hajime and beat him, I’m likely reminding him that I have ultimate level talent and he doesn’t.”.

Mahiru snorted. “That’s ridiculous. He’s your friend and he’s getting you a gift because he likes you. That’s nothing to feel bad about. Plus, everyone loses when playing against you. Even Togami lost against you when we were playing together a couple of days ago. I was surprised at how calmly he took it. I thought he would have reacted a lot worse, given his ego”.

Byakuya had played against her a number of times since they had first talked about her problem with Hajime. He said he was interested in learning more about her while he waited for information on Hajime. He had decided one way to do that by playing against her. He had lost. But he challenged her again and again. Byukaya was clearly annoyed by his inability to win, yet he said he found the experience interesting and was keen to challenge her again.

With what Byakya was doing for her and the effort he had put into engaging with her and enjoying her hobby with her, Chiaki felt he had earned her respect. “Byakuya can be prideful, but he can respect proven skill. I proved mine”.

“I guess that’s true”. Mahiru didn’t seem convinced, but she was content to drop this topic.

Chiaki was silent for a minute. She then said “Do you know how other people treat the reserve course students?”

“I’ve heard some concerning stories”. Mahiru looked visibly uncomfortable.

“So have I”. Chiaki sighed. “According to Byakuya, they’re either true or things are worse than the rumours. According to him, some members of the faculty were even considering an experiment that would have used reserve course students as test subjects for creating people with talent”. She shuddered at the idea. “He says it was stopped before it was even started, due to being severely unethical. But the reserve course students get treated terribly. Hajime doesn’t like telling me about his class and even he has told me enough that it seems like all of his classmates are having a bad time in one way or another. None of the students really talk to each other or socialise with each other. None of them hang out, none of them seem to ever have fun at school. He seems to find everything about our class to be remarkable. Even little moments of fun that I tell him about are things that apparently don’t happen in his class”.

Chiaki was very worried and not just for Hajime. But she was just a student. So, what could she do? Plus, Hajime had problems beyond a bad class environment.

“He also seems so unsure of himself. Hope’s Peak is meant to encourage talent, but it seems to be doing the opposite for Hajime. Even hanging out with me seems to make things worse. I like Hajime and hanging out with him makes me feel happy. But I think I’m making him feel worse about himself”.

Chiaki felt really glum as she said that. “I wonder if I should just not play games with Hajime. I don’t want to hurt my friend”.

“Unfortunately, there’s not much either of us can do about his class”, Mahiru replied with a resigned tone. “All we can do is try to help Hajime, But that should not be at your own expense. There’s no reason to sacrifice your own happiness. We can find a way to help Hajime without that”.

Chiaki did hope that was right. But she wasn’t so sure it was and she hated the way Hajime looked sometimes. She hated the pain she seemed to unintentionally cause. “I want Hajime to be able to like himself as much as I like him. But that will take a lot of time. Until then, maybe it would be better if I did my best to avoid hurting him with my talent”.

Mahiru heatedly retorted “We’re talking about playing video games. You’re hardly doing something hurtful. You’re just trying to have fun. Plus, trying to hide your own talents doesn’t help anyone. You deserve to be proud of them. Hiding your talents to make someone else feel better about themselves is something I don’t think anyone should do. It also doesn’t help Hajime at all. He needs to find value in himself. The reason he can’t do that is because everyone sees Ultimate students as better than everyone. So people like you and me are put on a pedestal. Hiding your own talent or feeling guilty about them isn’t going to help him overcome that. If you want to help Hajime, you need to encourage him to value his own talents and to not be discouraged by those with more skill at something than him”.

Mahiru tapped her finger for a moment. She then continued. “Even Ultimate students have people who are better than them. Being an Ultimate just means we’ve been recognized as being extremely talented in a particular field. That’s all it really means”.

“Byakuya would probably disagree with that”. Chiaki didn’t disagree with Mahiru, but the mental image how Byakuya would hotly reject the idea Mahiru had just put forward was funny. It was funny enough that Chiaki did not feel like she couldn’t fail to bring it up.

“He’d disagree because he has the biggest ego in the universe”.

“He’s not that bad”. Chiaki knew Byakuya had his issues. But it felt like the way he annoyed some people made them focus on his flaws to an excessive degree. She had done the same initially.

“You’re only saying that because you like him”. Mahiru . “Okay, like might be a bit strong, but you clearly respect him a lot. You’re hardly unbiased”.

“I’m saying it because you and him disagree a lot. Not that it’s bad that you do, but… well, if you fight with someone as often as you and Togami do, it’ll tend to make it harder to see them in a positive light”.

“Maybe, but I could say a similar thing to you. It’s a lot easier to tolerate an arrogant person when their arrogance is mainly pointed at other people”.

“I wish that was true. Byakuya once challenged me repeatedly at to matches at various games. I don’t mind playing with people at all. But he can very stubborn. It took a lot of matches until he accepted I was a better gamer than him”.

“So you’ve shown it yourself and to someone as stubborn as Togami. Even someone supposedly capable of everything under the sun has things he can be beaten at. I imagine there are plenty of non Ultimates who could do the same, to match or surpass an Ultimate. Compared to that, I’d say showing the same to Hajime and getting him to accept it will be a cakewalk”.

Mahiru then realised she had gone overboard. “Ah, not that I don’t realise it will still be a challenge. I just believe you can do this”.

Chiaki smiled. “Thank you”.

“Don’t think about stupid ideas like giving up on playing with your friend. You already have a good plan. Just believe in yourself a bit and we’ll help Hajime learn to do the same”. Mahiru then, in a perplexed tone, asked “Did you really consider asking Gundham? He seemed to think you might do so, or at least that’s what I think he said”.

“No. He’s too eccentric for something like this”.

She had admittedly briefly considered something worse. considered asking Teruteru at one point. She had heard some people really liked a mascot character that looked like him. So Chiaki had, for a moment, considered asking him with the thought that Teruteru might have some of the charm of his mascot counterpart. This idea was instantly crushed by various memories of his antics. But Mahiru didn’t need to know anything about that.

Mahiru seemed oddly relieved. “Yes, eccentric. I guess that’s one way to describe him”.

Chiaki ignored that. “I’m glad you offered to help me. I was really unsure what I’d be able to do on my own”.

“Like I said, I’m happy to help. We first need to show Hahime that Ultimate students are just people like him. You know, as people he can be equal to and who can be dealt with as normal people”. Mahiru sighed. “So many Ultimate students are just so weird. It might be nice to speak with another normal kid my age. It’s been so long since I’ve done that”.

Chiaki pouted and gave Mahiru a glare.

“Sorry, Chiaki. I’m not saying that you’re weird. You’re just a bit… eccentric”.

_That’s very rude of you._

But Mahiru was doing a lot for her and Chiaki wasn’t much of a talker. She definitely wasn’t inclined to bother with arguing with others unless she felt it was really worth it. So she just rolled her eyes in response to Mahiru’s comment. The other girl just giggled.

Mahiru then stood up. “Right, I’m ready”. Chiaki responded by giving her a thumbs up and winking at her. “Good luck”. She’d seen Kazuichi do this once before and had thought it was a bit cool. So Chiaki thought she’d try it.

Mahiru apparently did not agree, judging by the face she made. It was like she had been reminded of something particularly unpleasant. “Thanks, but please don’t do that again”.

“Okay”. Chiaki would be sure to remember that. It had seemed a bit cool to her, but maybe it wasn’t. Perhaps she had done it wrong somehow? Anyway, it was something she would not try again. _I should give her some last words of encouragement._

“I’m sure you’ll do well. Probably”.

She got a blank look in response from Mahiru. “That’s actually even worse. How did you manage that?”

Chiaki just looked back at her. _I was just being honest._

Mahiru sighed. “Never mind. I’m just going to go now”. Then she did that, leaving Chiaki to think about what had just happened.

_What did I do wrong?_


	5. Chapter 5

Hajime was browsing the shelves for a very specific item, an item that was to be a gift for a very important friend. Admittedly, he had next to no friends at all these days and not out of choice. Still, Chiaki really was important to him. So, that was why he was here, to do something for her.

_I know I’ll never beat her at any of these games, but it’s still fun to play with her._

Chiaki was especially into the Super Ikaruga series at the moment. So was he, honestly. If they had a copy of the game, they could take turns with it. He kept on browsing and then he spotted it.

_Looks like my bit of research paid off. I feared it was gone already._

He took the copy there. Then a red haired girl who had also been been browsing the shelves tapped him on the shoulder. “Excuse me, I’d like to look in that area”.

“Oh, sorry”

He then moved out of the way. The girl then noticed the game he was holding.

“Hey, is that Super Ikaruga XXVII Enhanced Edition? A friend of mine is after a copy”. She quickly looked at the spot he had been looking at, noticing that there were no other copies, then turned back to him

“Sorry, but I’m also getting this for a friend. I need to get this copy”.

“Aww. That’s unfortunate”.

It was. However, Chiaki would really like this game. He was hardly going to give it up to a stranger.

The girl looked disappointed, but then she smiled. “I hope your friend enjoys it”.

“I hope so too. She’s really enthusiastic about it”.

“What’s your friend like?”

That was random. She noticed his confusion and responded to it. “I’m just curious. I’d like to know a bit about the person who’ll be getting this game”.

Hajime was still a bit perplexed. Still, it was hardly a rude request, even if it felt odd to get asked that and in regards to a video game of all things.

“Okay”. He then proceeded to tell her a bit about Chiaki, avoiding anything too specific. This was a stranger. But he still told her about how Chiaki had befriended him when he was at a very low point and helped him carry on in spite of his problems. She was a person he was very fortunate to know and he enjoyed spending time with her. So, he was going to get something in return, something she would enjoy.

“She really likes games”.

“Video games, right?”

“All games, actually. If it’s a game, she’ll like to play it. For her, I think part of the fun of playing games is in seeing what’s out there, in trying different things out and going through the experience of learning what you can do with a game”.  
  
He carried on talking and, when he was done, the girl seemed impressed. “She sounds like a very good friend. It also sounds like you like her a lot”. She then stopped to think for a moment. “What’s your name?”

“Hajime Hinata”.

“I’m Mahiru Koizumi. Nice to meet you”. She smiled and Hajime did the same. “I’m glad to have met you too”.

He then glanced at the cover of the game. The thought of how it would make Chiaki happy made him filled his heart with warmth.

Then a camera flash suddenly went off right in front of him.

“Ah!”

Hajime blinked in response. When his vision returned to normal, Mahiru was grinning, though she at least seem to try to look contrite when Hajime glared at her.

“Sorry. I like to take photos of people when they smile. It’s a habit of mine”.

He sighed inwardly. Glaring at her wasn’t going to do anything. “Could you at least show me the photo?”

“Sure”.

She showed it to him. It was, for a photo taken by surprise, very good, though only by the standards of surprise photos. He still looked a bit confused in it, having started reacting to the photo being taken.

“You look hilarious”.

Hajime resumed glared at her, something that didn’t affect her at all. “Thanks. That’s so kind of you”.

“Quit complaining. You’re a man, right?”

“And?”

“It’s just a photo. It’s not like I’ve cursed you or sucked out your soul. It’s just something I’ll have in my photo collection”.

“You’re going to keep it?”

“Yes, I am. It’s a good photo”.

This felt unfair. “Could you at least tell me why, beyond having something to laugh at later?”

Mahiru first looked very reluctant to do that. But she glanced at the game he was holding and, for some reason, her expression softened. “Will you promise not to laugh?”

Hajime nodded. “Of course”.

“Thanks”. Mahiru looked a bit nervous, but seemed to push that down. What she she next was said without a moment of hesitation and with an admirable sincerity. “Photos, especially those that aren’t arranged, just matter to me a lot. When you take a photo of something like that, you aren’t simply creating an image. You’re capturing a moment in time, something unique”. She turned her camera around to show him the photo again. “This is a unique photo, capturing your feelings in that moment. It’s irreplaceable. In my experience, you can never truly recreate a moment. You can try, but it won’t be the same. But you can record that moment”. She held up the photo. “Like this”.

Hajime felt like he understood what she meant. He looked silly, yet it still had captured some of the happiness within him at that moment, the happiness he wished to share with Chiaki.

“It may sound cheesy, but that’s what photography is to me”. Mahiru was blushing slightly as she said that.

“I see. Thank you for helping me understand”.

“It’s also hilarious and I will definitely look at it again when I need a laugh”.

“Wonderful”. He said that in an an irritated tone, yet her words felt like an obvious attempt to redirect the conversation. So, Hajime wasn’t actually as annoyed by it as he acted.

“You should lighten up a bit”.

He then noticed a distinctive logo on her bag. It was the logo of Hope’s Peak Academy. Mahiru noticed his glance.

“Oh, this? I’m a student at Hope’s Peak”.

His initial feeling was scepticism. But he reminded himself that he’d had many doubt he was a Hope’s Peak student. He knew how it felt to have others question whether someone like him was or could be a student at such a prestigious school. So, even if there was a chance she was lying, Hajime felt he should give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Really? That’s amazing”.

“Thanks”

“I assume you’re there because of your photography, right?”

“Hmm?”

“Your photos look really good”.

“That’s sweet”. Mahiru didn’t seem like she thought much of that compliment though. Seeing Hajime’s confusion, she explained herself. “Okay, here are two things to consider. First, how often do you think I hear comments like that? Second, what do comments like “very good” tell me about how my photos have left any sort of impact or impression on you or about their quality?”

Hajime could guess the answers to those easily. Probably many, many times for the first. Next to nothing was the likely answer to the second. “Sorry”.

“Ah, you probably shouldn’t apologize. I just hear responses like that all the time. I hear those responses so often that it’s frustrating. I want my photos to be more than “really good”. I want them to do more than be that. I want my photos to communicate something to those who look at them, like the feelings of those caught in a photo. Being told nothing but that they’re “really good” feels like failure”.

Hajime didn’t know what to say. He could understand her irritation, but he really felt unable to say more than those words, that they were really good. He had some classes at Hope’s Peak on this sort of thing and he had art classes before then, but none of what he could recall from them seemed to be of use now.

The two of the were silent, until Mahiru spoke, asking a sudden question. “What school do you go to?”

It was a question he didn’t like to answer. But he felt oddly at ease with Mahiru. He felt like he waa already starting to like her. So his answer was “The same one you go to”.

“Huh?”

Having said that, he now had Mahiru’s attention keenly on him. Well, maybe it was not as focused on him as it felt. Hajime knew he tended to feel people were judging him and paying more of a critical gaze on him than they probably were. It was something he had heard from others, such as Chiaki. But, at moments like this, he still felt like he was under the spotlight. Still, Hajime managed to force out the words. “I’m a Hope’s Peak student too”.

Mahiru’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“I’m a... reserve course student”. He muttered the last bit like it was something dirty and shameful. In his experience, that was exactly how others saw the reserve course students of Hope’s Peak. He knew what to expect now that he had revealed that. Everyone tended to react in one of a number of ways, or a combination of them. Those were pity, disgust, contempt. Being a reserve student was how talentless people got the status of being Hope’s Peak Students. He didn’t deserve to be there.

That was what he was told all the time. The only question was which flavour of treatment he’d get that would make him feel terrible about being a reserve course student this time.

“Hey, you shouldn’t say it like that. You’re still a Hope’s Peak Student. The entrance exams for reserve students are still tough. It’s tougher than what most students have to go through. Lift your chin up”.

Somehow, he’d gotten a response he’d never received before. Mahiru sounded annoyed, which was an emotion he feared getting from anyone who heard he was one of the reserve course students. But her annoyance was focused in such a way that was just confusing.

“Huh?”

“What’s with that response? I’m just stating the obvious. Being a Hope’s Peak student is something to be proud of and you’ve worked hard to become one. So what if you’re a reserve student? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You ought to be prouder of what you’re managing to do. Don’t let what others say about you rob you of that. It’s wrong of them to say such things, but it’s also wrong to value those words over your own self worth and the value of your own efforts”.

He had just told her that he was a reserve student and she seemed to be completely indifferent to that and far more concerned that he did not have enough pride in himself. It felt utterly ridiculous.

“Ha..haha… hahaha…”.

“Why are you laughing?”

He did his best to stop himself from doing that. Some of the people here were already giving him odd looks.

“Sorry. It’s just so odd hearing something like that from an Ultimate. I mean, everyone talks about how the reserve students just get their way in with money. I do hear what other students say”.

Mahiru gave an exasperated groan. “Yes, some people say some really stupid things. It’s really not a good idea to pay much attention to them. If I did that myself, I’d be a wreck”.

“Really?”

“Yes. Even with other Ultimates, I’ve been told I’m bossy, demanding, prickly, rude. I’ve had people look at my photos and ask why I’m even at Hope’s Peak. Then there’s my dad….”.

Mahiru, upon mentioning her dad, switched from purely being irritated to that and being glum. It was like some on her energy had been sucked of her the instant she brought him up. So, Hajime felt he needed to ask about that. “What about him?”

“He’s lazy and he’d rather have me help out at home more”. It was clear that was all Mahiru seemed willing to say about her dad. So, Hajime decided to drop it. They only just met, after all. She was already being very open. He didn’t have the right to prod into her personal matters.

“Whatever anyone says, you’re just as worthy of being in Hope’s Peak as I am. That’s what I feel, at least”.

“Thank you”.

After that, they did talk for a bit longer about unrelated stuff, but eventually he needed to go and pay for the game. Mahiru also had no reason to stay, now that she could not get a copy.

“Maybe we’ll see each other again?”

“I’d like that, Hajime”. They exchanged phone numbers and she then left.

Hope’s Peak tended to keep the Ultimates and the Reserve Students separate from each other. It was nothing like an enforced rule, but everything was arranged so that the two groups didn’t mix. But Hajime wanted to see her again. He also had an Ultimate student that he could at least ask for help.

_I do rely on her a lot already and Hope’s Peak has a lot of students. But I can at least ask her._

So he sent her a quick text message, asking if she knew anything about a Mahiru Koizumi. He added that she was the Ultimate Photographer. He quickly got a response.

 **Chiaki Nanami** : I know her. She’s one of my classmates.

_Huh? How did this happen?_

Hajime felt this was too improbable to be a coincidence. But any alternative explanation seemed too absurd or like he was being paranoid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope those reading this will consider leaving a comment. This can help me a lot.

**Author's Note:**

> Chiaki is a favoured character of mine, but I struggled to decide what sort of story I could create to put her in. I came to the idea of using the interpretation of her that I've written in this fic and will go for an ongoing story of growth and bonding with this. Hopefully, this’ll be good enough for my fellow Danganronpa fans. I've admittedly not written any of the characters in DR2 before. I decided to go for just putting Danganronpa 2 cast in the tags. Individual members of the cast will get added when they make appearances. I hope to make full use of the cast, but feel I should wait until I've given a member enough of a presence before I add them to the tags.


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